The PAP using the tried and trusted pork barrel politics again

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EBRC report: Opposition wards largely untouched; slight change to Aljunied GRC’s boundaries​

The Tampines GreenGem housing estate will be moved from Aljunied GRC to Tampines GRC at the next general election.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Kok Yufeng
Mar 11, 2025

SINGAPORE - Three polling districts in Tampines West, comprising 3,834 voters, will be moved from the opposition-held Aljunied GRC to the People’s Action Party-held Tampines GRC at the upcoming general election.

This is one of three minor changes that the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) has recommended in its report on March 11, so that some of the electoral boundaries at the 2025 polls are aligned with key geographical features, it said.

The other two changes are to the boundaries of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Chua Chu Kang GRC.

The EBRC’s proposals, which have been accepted by the Government, hew to a long-standing practice of leaving opposition wards largely intact, with Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC among nine constituencies that will not have their boundaries redrawn.

Aljunied, Sengkang and Hougang are all held by the Workers’ Party (WP).

The other seven constituencies that will have no changes to their boundaries are Bishan-Toa Payoh, Jalan Besar, Marsiling-Yew Tee and Nee Soon GRCs, as well as Bukit Panjang, Marymount and Pioneer SMCs.

This means that less than a third of the 31 constituencies at the 2020 hustings will maintain the status quo at the coming election, which must be held by November.

The three polling districts being carved out of Aljunied GRC include two areas that are bounded by Tampines Avenue 1, Tampines Avenue 10, Bedok Reservoir Road and Bedok Reservoir itself.

These two districts cover the Waterview and Tropica condominiums, as well as Tampines GreenGem and the still-under-construction Tampines GreenJade public housing estates.

The third polling district, bounded by Tampines Road, Tampines Link and Tampines Avenue 10, covers two worker dormitories, several temples and a funeral parlour.

Polling districts are sub-divisions in a constituency with at least one polling station each.

Meanwhile, in the west, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC will take in one new polling district, which is under the soon-to-be-dissolved Jurong GRC.

This polling district, which has 2,776 registered voters, lies east of Upper Bukit Timah Road. It covers a number of condominiums, including Springdale, Sherwood Towers, Garden Vista and Jardin.

Farther north, two new public housing estates under construction - Rail Green I @ CCK and Rail Green II @ CCK - will come under Chua Chu Kang GRC, bringing with them 193 registered voters from The Tennery condominium in nearby Junction 10.

The EBRC said the two Rail Green housing developments straddled the previous electoral boundary between Chua Chu Kang GRC and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. This had been drawn based on the former railway track that no longer exists, and which has since been turned into part of the Rail Corridor.

Hence, the committee’s recommendation is to redraw this boundary so it runs along Woodlands Road instead, effectively assigning the two new estates, as well as Junction 10, to Chua Chu Kang GRC instead of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

With the changes, Aljunied GRC will have 144,032 voters, Tampines GRC will have 147,904 voters, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC will have 122,891 voters and Chua Chu Kang GRC will have 93,368 voters.

In terms of size, Aljunied and Tampines GRC will remain five-member wards, while Holland-Bukit Timah and Chua Chu Kang GRC will stay as four-member wards.

 

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10 key takeaways from GE2025 boundaries report​

The EBRC report, released on March 11, paves the way for the next general election, which must be held by November 2025.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Anjali Raguraman
Mar 11, 2025

SINGAPORE - The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) has recommended that there be 18 GRCs and 15 single-member constituencies, up from the current 17 GRCs and 14 SMCs.

The EBRC report, released on March 11, paves the way for the next general election, which must be held by November 2025.

Among the changes proposed are the creation of two new four-member GRCs, one fewer five-member GRC, alongside redrawn boundaries for a slew of electoral divisions.

Here are 10 key changes from the report:

The five-member Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC that debuted in GE2001 is no more. Instead, Punggol estate will merge with Punggol West SMC to form a new four-member Punggol GRC.

The EBRC recommended this change based on the GRC having the largest increase in the number of electors since the last general election, and the estate’s continuing growth with new housing developments.

Phase two of the Punggol Point Cove development and Kempas Residences were recently completed in January 2025.

With 123,557 electors, this makes it the second largest four-member GRC after Sengkang GRC, which has 126,641 electors.

Following the creation of Punggol GRC, the remaining polling districts from the former Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC will be combined with the adjacent parts of East Coast GRC - namely Loyang and Flora estates.

These are the eastern-most parts of East Coast GRC around Changi Airport and Changi Prison Complex in Siglap ward.

This will form the four-member Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, with 100,639 electors.

East Coast GRC will absorb parts of Marine Parade GRC - namely the Housing Board estates in Chai Chee and the private estates in Siglap.

By absorbing Joo Chiat, currently overseen by Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong, it will add over 30,000 electors and become 25 per cent larger than it was in the last election.

The upsized East Coast GRC remains a five-member constituency.

The single-seat MacPherson ward, currently helmed by MP Tin Pei Ling, will be absorbed into Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.

The newly renamed five-member GRC will also comprise parts of Potong Pasir, as well as an adjacent polling district from Mountbatten SMC.

The EBRC said that parts of Potong Pasir SMC are being moved, owing to the high population growth there due to new housing developments in Bidadari.

Chua Chu Kang GRC will take in upcoming HDB developments - Rail Green I and II, as well as Plantation Edge I and II in Tengah - which used to straddle Chua Chu Kang GRC and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

It will also take in the new housing developments in Tengah, a town which is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

In order to keep Chua Chu Kang as a four-member GRC, Bukit Gombak and Hillview estates will be carved out to form a new Bukit Gombak SMC.

The committee said that even with the Tengah estates being absorbed into Chua Chu Kang GRC, the remaining Hong Kah North SMC comprising Bukit Batok West is “still too big and growing”.

As such, it will be merged with Jurong GRC, Bukit Batok and Yuhua SMCs to form a new Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

To keep the new constituency as a five-member GRC, a new Jurong Central SMC will be carved out. The GRC will also shed estates in Jurong West and Taman Jurong.

7. West Coast absorbs Taman Jurong, lose areas in Dover and Telok Blangah to become West Coast-Jurong West GRC
West Coast will gain the estates in Jurong West and Taman Jurong from the now-defunct Jurong GRC, but lose its eastern-most polling district - comprising estates in Harbourfront and Sentosa - to Radin Mas SMC.

Its estates in Dover and Telok Blangah will also be moved to next-door Tanjong Pagar GRC.

The resulting West Coast-Jurong West GRC will have 158,581 electors and be the second largest GRC after Ang Mo Kio GRC.

Polling districts in Tampines West, which are currently under Aljunied GRC, will be moved to Tampines GRC. These are the new estates near to Tampines West MRT and to the East of Bedok Reservoir.

The change comes as the committee recommended that electoral boundaries be regularised along key geographical features.

To keep four existing five-member GRCs from becoming too large, new SMCs will be carved out.

From Ang Mo Kio, a new Jalan Kayu SMC will be created. Even so, Ang Mo Kio will remain the largest GRC with 161,235 electors.

In view of the growth in Sembawang GRC and Tampines GRC, a new Sembawang West SMC and Tampines Changkat SMC will be created respectively. A new Queenstown SMC will also be carved out from Tanjong Pagar GRC.

Apart from the shifting of polling districts in Tampines West from Aljunied GRC to Tampines GRC, electoral boundaries for the other Workers’ Party-held wards of Sengkang GRC and Hougang remain unchanged.

This is in keeping with EBRC’s past practice of leaving opposition wards largely intact.

The other constituencies with status quo boundaries are Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Jalan Besar GRC, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Nee Soon GRC and the SMCs of Bukit Panjang, Marymount and Pioneer.

 

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Forum: How is public transport access determined for older estates?​

Mar 13, 2025, 05:00 AM

I live in the Seletar Hills estate, which is over 60 years old, with many residents in their 70s or 80s. I relocated here 15 years ago and recall it took over three years for a service 50 bus route (Ang Mo Kio and Bishan) to be started for us.

When I read the article “5 new bus services to ply Kent Ridge, Hougang, Boon Lay, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Mayflower areas” (March 10), I wondered how providing public transportation access to Singapore estates is determined, in particular for older estates comprising ageing communities.

The authorities have said demand for new bus services has to be monitored before a decision is made. Meanwhile, to get to Buangkok MRT station, the nearest one to our estate, residents have to take two buses.

David Wong Yeng Kin

 

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DBS/POSB rolls out SG60 deals, including 60-cent meal deals​

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing (right) and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth and Social and Family Development Eric Chua at the POSB “Support Our Heartlands” community event at Tiong Bahru Plaza on March 15.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Judith Tan
Mar 15, 2025, 08:04 PM

SINGAPORE – To celebrate Singapore’s 60th birthday, DBS/POSB has rolled out year-long special offers for its customers that include 60-cent grocery and meal deals, while also ramping up the bank’s efforts to improve the well-being of vulnerable seniors.

At an event on March 15, the bank said its employees will engage with seniors from super-aged and aged towns, such as Ang Mo Kio, Queenstown and Bedok, and drive initiatives to improve their nutrition and deepen social connections.

The bank said it will also redouble its community engagement efforts throughout SG60. This includes taking its digital and financial literacy carnivals and getai roadshows to more neighbourhoods to make digital and financial education more accessible and convenient for everyone.

For all customers, the bank has lined up a suite of “60-themed” rewards and deals all year round, which are available through the POSB Everyday Card and PAssion POSB Debit Card.

They include:

• 60-cent rice (1kg pack) and 60-cent oil (500ml bottle) at any Sheng Siong supermarket for customers who purchase these essential items, capped at the first 50,000 redemptions for each item a month from now until June 30;
• 60-cent deals at participating food and beverage outlets from July 1 to Sept 30; and
• 60 per cent discount on entry passes to participating attractions from Oct 1 to Dec 31.

More details on participating merchants and attractions will be released at a later date.

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth and Social and Family Development Eric Chua were at the POSB “Support Our Heartlands” community event at Tiong Bahru Plaza, where they interacted with participants.

Mr Chan, who is anchor minister for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said at the event that Mr Chua will continue to look after the residents of Queenstown, as will the rest of the Tanjong Pagar team.

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee had in its March 11 report carved out Queenstown from Tanjong Pagar GRC into a new single-member constituency. Queenstown division has been represented by Mr Chua since 2020.

The current five-member team for Tanjong Pagar GRC comprises Mr Chan; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah; Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan; Mr Chua and Ms Joan Pereira.

Mr Chan said: “(Mr Chua) will continue to take care of Queenstown... and we will continue to work with him. He is always part of our team of brothers and sisters.”

Asked by reporters earlier whether he will be contesting in the newly demarcated Queenstown SMC, Mr Chua said: “The plan has not been finalised yet, so it is too early to speculate now.”

For now, Mr Chua said, it is “business as usual”, which included continuing with his home visits during the weekends.

At the event, the bank also announced lower monthly mortgage payments for both aspiring and existing Housing Board home owners through the bank’s HDB three-year fixed-rate home loan package.

The bank also said that it will offer a one-time cash bonus of up to $310 to customers who credit their salary into a DBS/POSB account for the first time. This includes full-time national servicemen and those on their first job.

DBS Singapore country head Lim Him Chuan said: “We feel it is important to commemorate this SG60 year by continuing to give back to fellow Singaporeans and residents, as we remain steadfast in our commitment to standing by our customers and the community.”

 

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New ServiceSG centre opens in Woodlands, another to open in Ang Mo Kio in 2026​

Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing at the new ServiceSG centre at Woodlands Civic Centre on March 15.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Mike Yeo
Mar 15, 2025

SINGAPORE – A new ServiceSG centre has officially opened in Woodlands, providing residents there with access to more than 600 different government services.

Located at the Woodlands Civic Centre, the centre is the ninth to open in Singapore since 2021.

ServiceSG centres provide Singaporeans with access to services from across 25 different government agencies.

They range from resetting Singpass accounts to filing taxes and passport renewals.

Speaking at the centre’s official opening on March 15, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing said ServiceSG centres are part of the public service’s commitment to ensure that Singaporeans have access to government services despite the digitalisation push.

“We will always have ServiceSG centres to take care of those who are unable to access the services digitally, or those who have complicated cases that may require a bit more guidance,” he said.

Mr Chan, who is also Education Minister, announced at the event held at Woodlands Civic Centre that another ServiceSG centre will be opened in Ang Mo Kio.

It will open in the first half of 2026 in Ang Mo Kio town centre.

The centre in Woodlands has recorded an average of 5,500 monthly transactions since it started operating a few months ago, the highest of any ServiceSG centre in Singapore.

It has the largest number of government agencies co-located on-site, with officers from the Housing Board and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) operating from the location.

There are also videoconferencing facilities to enable interactions with government agencies that do not have officers on-site.

Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing announced at the opening of Woodlands’ ServiceSG centre that another centre will be opened in Ang Mo Kio in the first half of 2026.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
An e2i Jobs Fair was also held at the Woodlands Civic Centre on March 15, with 10 companies and organisations, such as fast-food chain McDonald’s and Exceltec Property Management, participating.

MPs for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Alex Yam, Hany Soh and Zaqy Mohamad, as well as MP for Sembawang GRC Mariam Jaafar, attended the event, which saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between e2i and Singapore Polytechnic.

The agreement aims to equip the polytechnic’s education and career guidance counsellors and coaches with e2i’s resources and artificial intelligence-powered digital tools to help job seekers craft strong resumes and refine their interview skills.

 

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GE2025: PSP says it faces ‘uphill battle’ in West Coast-Jurong West GRC after Jurong voters added​

Progress Singapore Party chairman Tan Cheng Bock (right) greeting Taman Jurong residents during his party's walkabout at Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre on March 16.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

Ng Wei Kai
Mar 16, 2025

SINGAPORE – The opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP) faces “an uphill battle” in the new West Coast-Jurong West GRC at the next general election, said the party’s Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai.

Speaking to the media on March 16 after the party’s first walkabout in Taman Jurong since the latest electoral boundaries were announced, Mr Leong said: “41,000 new residents are now being given to us. We have served the Telok Blangah residents very closely over the last four years, but they have taken them out.”

He was referring to changes to the electoral boundaries unveiled on March 11.

The new West Coast-Jurong West GRC will include some estates from the current Jurong GRC, a stronghold of the ruling People’s Action Party, and cede parts of Telok Blangah and Dover.

Mr Leong added that the runway to the next election is “very short”, and hence, the party has to gear up its interactions with Jurong residents who will now vote in the new GRC.

The election must be held by November, but is widely expected to take place by mid-2025.

He said PSP chairman Tan Cheng Bock has a strong record in the west of Singapore, and the party will do its “very best” in the run-up to the election to engage every resident.

Mr Leong and Dr Tan were part of the PSP slate that contested West Coast GRC in the 2020 election.

When asked about the PSP’s plans to engage Jurong residents, Dr Tan declined to go into detail, but said the party is “always prepared” and is “seeing a lot of people now coming to support us”.

The PSP turned out in force at the Taman Jurong walkabout on the morning of March 16.

Besides Mr Leong and Dr Tan, party chief Hazel Poa and about 50 volunteers spoke to residents and handed out the party newsletter at Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre.

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report on March 11 recommended that West Coast GRC absorb some estates from Jurong GRC and be renamed West Coast-Jurong West GRC in the coming general election.

It will also cede estates in HarbourFront and Sentosa to Radin Mas SMC, and Dover and Telok Blangah estates to Tanjong Pagar GRC, the EBRC said.

The changes were triggered by the carving up of Jurong due to population changes farther north, the committee added.

The new West Coast-Jurong West GRC will be a five-member constituency with 158,581 voters. This is up from the 144,516 voters that the current West Coast GRC had at the 2020 General Election, when it saw that election’s closest contest.

The ruling PAP won the GRC with 51.69 per cent of the vote against the then newly founded PSP led by Dr Tan, a former PAP stalwart.

Of the new voters in the GRC, about 41,000 are from Jurong West, specifically the wards of Taman Jurong and Jurong Spring.

Ms Poa, PSP’s secretary-general, said on March 16: “Now that these (voters) have been added, they have raised the bar. But we will rise to the occasion. And today’s walkabout shows that residents here are actually very warm (to us).”

Dr Tan added that he has a long history in Jurong, both as a medical doctor and a politician.

He said many of the residents recognised him from his time as a doctor in Ama Keng village, as they had resettled in Jurong from there.

He said he had also helped set up the Jurong East Town Council as a PAP MP.

“The whole area – it’s not new (to me),” he added.



Dr Tan said the party would put up a fight wherever it goes.

He said: “We fight because we’re all fighting for the country, for Singapore, and that’s most important.

“So wherever we go, we will still continue to give all our best, and we will put our best candidates.”

He and the other party leaders did not confirm who would be fielded in the new GRC in the next election, or if the party would contest the new GRC, adding that the party will “leave our options open”.

In GE2020, PSP fielded Dr Tan, Mr Leong and Ms Poa, alongside Mr Jeffrey Khoo and Mr Nadarajah Loganathan, in West Coast GRC.

Mr Khoo and Mr Loganathan were at the walkabout as well, along with several of PSP’s new faces, including logistics firm director Anna Ravichandran, former journalist Stella Stan Lee and Mr Sumarleki Amjah, head of packaged food and business development at food and beverage company Del Monte Pacific.

Jurong GRC was the PAP’s best-performing GRC in the last two elections, where it secured 79.29 per cent of the vote in GE2015 and 74.61 per cent in GE2020.

Experts have said it is a fair assumption that Taman Jurong could provide very strong support to the PAP in the new West Coast-Jurong West GRC and affect the PSP’s prospects in the new constituency.

A key figure in Jurong GRC’s success was President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who served as an MP there for more than two decades. He represented Taman Jurong from 2001 to 2023 before stepping down to run for president.

The ward’s current MP is Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Finance Shawn Huang. He also represents Jurong Spring.

 

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New outdoor performance theatre in Prinsep Street among slew of changes in Bras Basah-Bugis district​

Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society's new campus at 250 Middle Road on March 13, 2025.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Ng Keng Gene
Mar 16, 2025

SINGAPORE – A new outdoor amphitheatre where the public can gather to enjoy traditional Indian fine arts performances will open beside Prinsep Street in the second half of 2025.

The amphitheatre is part of the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society’s (Sifas) new home at 250 Middle Road – a conserved building built during the Japanese Occupation to house the Doh-Jin Hospital, which was later renamed Middle Road Hospital.

Sifas is the latest arts group to move into Bras Basah-Bugis – Singapore’s arts and heritage district. The 75-year-old group’s move is among a slew of recent and upcoming changes in the area, in addition to major government announcements for the area during the recent Budget debate.

Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong announced on March 10 that the old St Joseph’s Institution building – home to the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) from 1996 to 2019 – is being assessed for a new Singapore Design Museum.

He said the new museum “could become a centre of gravity for designers, practitioners and creatives in the district, coming together as a hub, drawing energy and synergy from the surrounding arts, culture and heritage institutions”.

The Singapore University of Social Sciences will also have a new campus just outside Bras Basah-Bugis by the mid-2030s at the site of the former Rochor Centre, which was demolished in 2019.

In 1988, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) published the Master Plan for the Civic and Cultural District, laying the foundation for the 95ha Bras Basah-Bugis area to be turned into an arts, culture and education district.

The district’s identity has been reinforced in recent decades, with arts schools such as the School of the Arts, Singapore (2010), Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) (2004) and Lasalle College of the Arts (2007) establishing campuses alongside other cultural institutions such as the National Library Building (2005) and the National Design Centre (2013), which now houses the University of the Arts Singapore.

Recent and upcoming changes in Bras Basah-Bugis, which have largely centred around the Selegie and Bras Basah areas, have taken place since 2022, when life in Singapore started to return to normal after the pandemic.

Selegie​

Sifas executive director Menaka Gopalan said the group is delighted to be moving to a more central location from its home of more than 30 years at the former Rangoon Primary School campus at 2A Starlight Road in Farrer Park.

“Middle Road really feels like the right place for us to be, at the heart of the arts district, giving us opportunities to spread awareness about what we do,” said Ms Menaka of the organisation that has about 2,000 students and members, and 40 staff.

She said Sifas is looking forward to showcasing its arts to the public, as “dance, music and visual arts transcend language and cultural boundaries and can be enjoyed by all”.

An artist’s impression of Sifas’ Middle Road campus, which will feature an outdoor amphitheatre for live performances.PHOTO: SINGAPORE INDIAN FINE ARTS SOCIETY
As construction hoarding is removed at Sifas’ new campus, new hoarding will soon go up 80m away, for photography art centre Deck’s new building at 120A Prinsep Street.

Ms Gwen Lee, Deck’s co-founder and executive director, said construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 with the building slated to open in 2027.

It will replace Deck’s – an acronym for discovery, engagement, community and knowledge – container block home in the same location from 2014 to 2021.

Ms Lee said the new building, which will have three galleries, a blackbox theatre, a library and a cafe, aims to “offer something to the neighbourhood”, where people can encounter art while living their everyday lives.

An artist’s impression of Deck’s upcoming building at 120A Prinsep Street.PHOTO: LAUD ARCHITECTS
For instance, parents waiting to pick up their children from enrichment programmes in schools nearby can hang out in the building’s “green belt” – a plant-lined pathway connecting Prinsep Street to a back lane of Bencoolen Street.

Changes in Selegie have been so common that Mr Wesley Leon Aroozoo, a film lecturer at Lasalle, fears there will be an irreversible change in the identity of the area, leading to the loss of its history.

Deck’s executive director Gwen Lee at the Prinsep Street site where the photography arts centre’s container block facility stood, and where its new building will be constructed.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
“Since Rochor Centre was torn down, it has felt like there’s always some form of construction around the school,” said Mr Aroozoo, who has lectured at Lasalle since 2012.

“In the process of change, I don’t feel confident the old buildings in the area will last,” he said, citing Sim Lim Tower as an example.

At least three buildings, built in the 1970s and 1980s, near Lasalle were recently sold en bloc, and have either been redeveloped or are in the midst of redevelopment.

Golden Wall Centre has been replaced by the 530-room Hotel Mi Rochor since 2023, while Selegie Centre has been torn down for a 128-room boutique hotel. Peace Centre is being demolished to make way for One Sophia, a mixed-use development.

Selegie Centre, which was sold en bloc in 2019, is being replaced by a new 128-room hotel. PHOTOS: ST FILE, GAVIN FOO
Diagonally opposite the One Sophia site is Ten Square, an eye-catching car vending machine with a large LED display screen. Completed in 2022, it replaced what was known as the Tiger Balm building, which dated back to the 1930s.

Ten Square’s founder Gary Hong and his friend Yvonne Siow are behind PlayPan, a social movement that took over Peace Centre for four months from October 2023, before it was closed for demolition.

Peace Centre’s demolition progress as at March 13, 2025. In the rear are Wilkie Edge (left), car vending machine Ten Square (centre), and the conserved David Elias Building (right).ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Further changes may be in the works, with Lasalle yet to build a planned 12-storey expansion on a vacant site next to its McNally Street campus.

An about 4,600 sq m plot of land opposite Sifas’ new campus that has been zoned for education use since 1998 also presents new development possibilities.

Bras Basah​

Meanwhile, the planned Singapore Design Museum in Bras Basah will likely be accompanied by other changes.

A Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth spokesman told The Straits Times it is considering how 8 Queen Street – a former Catholic High School building used as SAM’s annexe from 2008 – “can complement the proposed design museum”.

He said the National Arts Council (NAC) is onboarding a team of consultants “to determine the scope of work and design requirements for the space at 8 Queen Street”.

Two other former Catholic High School buildings that pre-date World War II – 222 Queen Street and 51 Waterloo Street – were taken over by NAC from April 2022, after they were previously rented out for use as an arts centre.

A council spokesman said the buildings “were then closed, and preparation for pre-development work was carried out along with stakeholder engagement”, without giving further details.

The exterior of the former Catholic High School building at 51 Waterloo Street, which is currently managed by the National Arts Council. PHOTO: ST FILE
In November 2024, NAC launched a tender for consultants to oversee the refurbishment of the two buildings, while addressing “potential URA conservation requirements, if imposed”.

While noting that the buildings are not conserved, a URA spokesperson said “guidelines are in place to enable the existing buildings to be sensitively and creatively adapted for arts, culture and community uses”.

About 70m from 51 Short Street, a new 502-room hotel – to be operated by Accor under its Handwritten Collection brand – will open in late 2025 on the former site of Min Yuan and Waterloo apartments.

An artist’s impression of an upcoming 502-room hotel in Waterloo Street that will open in 2025.PHOTO: ACCOR

Building identity and community​

Social-cultural geographer T.C. Chang said SAM’s closure in 2019 was “a significant loss” as it “helped to consolidate the arts and heritage identity of Bras Basah-Bugis when the museum opened in 1996”. The museum has been located at Tanjong Pagar Distripark since 2022.

Dr Chang, a professor at the National University of Singapore, said the proposed design museum – if executed – will reinforce the district’s identity, as will the presence of new arts groups, such as Sifas.

Similarly, Mr Alvin Tan, founder of board games business The Mind Cafe, said having the museum hoarded up since 2019 has been a dampener for the district, with the disappearance of an icon.

Mr Tan, whose business has been at 60A Prinsep Street since 2005, said recent construction works in the Dhoby Ghaut area – including the refurbishment and expansion of Temasek Shophouse and The Cathay’s renovation – have affected footfall in his cafe from that direction, with most coming instead from the direction of Bencoolen and Bras Basah.

The expanded Temasek Shophouse is slated to reopen in 2025, while The Cathay is set to open in April after closing in August 2023 for renovations.

Even as these properties reopen, more construction work in the Dhoby Ghaut area is in the pipeline. From later in 2025, the Istana Park will be expanded, while a 500m stretch of Orchard Road will be pedestrianised, resulting in road diversion works.

In his two decades in the area, Mr Tan said, he has seen multiple trendy cafes come and go, although nightlife establishments have consistently fared well.

He noted that many stores selling mainland Chinese food have sprung up in Selegie Road in recent times.

Mr Michael Ng, executive director at SingHaiyi Holdings – the developer of One Sophia – said the Selegie area is “under-appreciated by Singaporeans”.

“Foreigners know this place better, partly because a lot of foreign students are in this area,” he said, citing private universities and the arts schools.

Mr Hong, who envisions Ten Square as a space that brings the local community together, said he realised from conversations with young people in the area that many feel isolated within their own communities.

PlayPan’s co-founders Yvonne Siow (left) and Gary Hong posing in front of Peace Centre in November 2023 before the building was demolished.PHOTO: ST FILE
“There are so many creative resources here, but the challenge is that everyone is disconnected. Everyone is doing their own thing and everyone is tired, because there is no sense of community,” he said, adding that he has been talking to stakeholders in the district – schools and social organisations – on how to bring its diverse communities together.

Such efforts are important, said PlayPan’s Ms Siow, as they create a sense of belonging.

“When that happens, people take ownership of the country, and ownership of the space – that’s when the community becomes very ‘sticky’, because we all have a common thread,” she said. “I think Singapore is now facing the fact that we don’t have a common thread. Many interactions are digital and people don’t come out, we don’t talk.”

To this end, Ms Lee said Deck’s green belt will be a physical connection between Nafa’s Campus 3 and Lasalle, allowing their students to visit each other and interact.

Mr Tan of The Mind Cafe said large-scale public programmes such as the Singapore Night Festival – organised by the National Heritage Board, which is in charge of enlivening the Bras Basah-Bugis district – have helped to strengthen its identity and boost business.

A light installation in Queen Street that was part of 2023’s edition of the Singapore Night Festival.ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
But Mr Ng noted that community and identity-building efforts cannot be wholly government-led, as it risks being top-down.

SingHaiyi is in early conversations with PlayPan to see how the social movement’s spirit can be realised in One Sophia. One possibility, said Mr Hong, is having arts students work with future retailers to design their shops.

Dr Chang said such initiatives will integrate young people into the neighbourhood in which they study.

“The very act of ‘leaving one’s mark’ in the landscape bonds people to a space, in a way that enlivens the place and brings in even more people to leave their own marks,” he said.

Dr Chang noted that while the entire district “does not always convey a coherent theme and image because of the inevitable mix of non-arts/heritage activities and services”, non-arts and heritage buildings and sites can still “intentionally take on an artistic flair”, such as through facade murals, as well as creatively designed public seating and architectural motifs.

Bollards at the junction of Middle Road and Prinsep Street bear the Bras Basah-Bugis district’s branding. Their design was inspired by ceramic bowl artefacts from The Peranakan Museum.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
As changes in the district take root, Mr Aroozoo hopes its layers of history will not be forgotten. For instance, not many people remember the pre-war Japanese community in the Bugis area, or the origins of street names such as Selegie – likely named after a Bugis seafarer or a wooden spear used by the seafarers.

“As we look for ways that current generations can connect to the district, we should embrace the past of these areas as well, which will give us a more textured understanding of our heritage,” he said.

 

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Safra offers members 12 months of free insurance for SG60​

Underwritten by Singlife, the 12-month personal accident insurance plan will provide $50,000 in coverage for Safra members, their spouses and children. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Shermaine Ang
Mar 16, 2025, 05:45 PM

SINGAPORE - Free insurance for a year is among the slew of SG60 goodies for national servicemen and their families, as the nation celebrates its 60th year.

Underwritten by Singlife, the 12-month personal accident insurance plan will provide $50,000 in coverage for Safra members, their spouses and children.

This was announced by Senior Minister of State for Defence and Safra president Zaqy Mohamad on March 16 at the Safra Family Day Out held at Rainforest Wild Asia. The event drew more than 1,500 Safra members and their families, who visited the newly opened attraction at a discounted rate.

“For over 60 years… NSmen have been a very important pillar of Singapore’s Total Defence,” Mr Zaqy said.

“This is one way Safra looks to enhance their offerings to recognise our NSmen for their efforts, and certainly to their families, for supporting their efforts on the ground as they serve the country.”

Named Safra Family Care, the free 12-month insurance plan is a collaboration between Safra and Professional Investment Advisory Services, a subsidiary of Singlife.

Under the plan, Safra members, their spouses and children are entitled to a lump sum payout of $50,000 each upon accidental death or accidental total and permanent disability.

They will also have coverage of up to $200 for medical reimbursement due to accidents, and up to $1,000 coverage for a simple fracture, ambulance fee and other medical expenses.

Safra members can register their interest for the plan at https://www.safra.sg/our-services/safra-insurance/safra-family-care by the end of 2026.

The Safra Family Day Out event kicked off Safra’s series of SG60 celebratory activities.

Safra‘s SG60 Food Galore from June to August will feature food tasting and cooking, while the Safra Fitness Festival from July to October will feature a team relay competition, where groups of five will compete in swimming, running, climbing, laser shooting and strength challenges.

As part of Safra’s renewed partnership with Mandai Wildlife Group, Safra members can enjoy quarterly special promotions, as well as 30 per cent off admission tickets when they visit Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise, River Wonders and Night Safari, from Mondays to Thursdays, throughout the year.

Safra members can also look forward to special discounts on admission tickets to Rainforest Wild Asia later in the year.

Among the promotions are also $60 discounts for some Royal Caribbean cruise trips and National Service Resort and Country Club stays, as well as special deals at food and beverage joints such as Sushiro and KFC.

Safra members, who comprise more than 420,000 Singapore Armed Forces servicemen and their families, will benefit from the SG60 perks.

This was announced by Senior Minister of State for Defence and president of Safra Zaqy Mohamad (left) on March 16 at the Safra Family Day Out held at Rainforest Wild Asia.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
One of them is project manager Avier Ling, who attended Safra Family Day Out with his wife Joreen Koh and their three-year-old daughter Annette Ling.

“We saw the promotion on the website, and decided to come because my daughter always wants to see animals. She’s very excited and looking forward to taking more pictures – she brought her camera along.”

The family paid a promotional rate of $60 to enter Rainforest Wild Asia, which has a usual entry fee of $117.

Mr Ling has made use of Safra membership discounts to buy his prescription glasses, and to take Annette to the water playground at Safra Punggol near their home.

Mr Zaqy – an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, along with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, North West District Mayor Alex Yam and Ms Hany Soh – was asked by media about the next general election, which must take place by Nov 23.

(From left) Ms Jean Choi, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Sales and Experience Development, Mandai Wildlife Reserves; Senior Minister of State for Defence and president of Safra Zaqy Mohamad, and Ms Kris Ho, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, SAFRA, at the Safra Family Day Out held at Rainforest Wild Asia.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Asked if he will continue running in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC in the election, Mr Zaqy said: “That’s something for the Prime Minister to decide. We will wait for Nomination Day and find out more. But our work plans are coming up, something that we look forward to upgrading with our residents for the next five-year town masterplan, so look out for that.”

On whether he feels pressure running alongside PM Wong, he said: “As always, with anyone with such a stellar track record and credentials, I think there’s certainly a lot to learn from. The benefit of being on the sidelines with PM is that we can see how to manage the ground better.

“We look forward to collaborating and working and supporting him as we make Marsiling-Yew Tee a great place to stay, and one that we can always just look forward to.”

​

 

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GE2025: How ST calculates estimated demographic profiles for each constituency​

With the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report on March 11, significant changes have been made to the battle lines.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Rei Kurohi and Wong Pei Ting
Mar 17, 2025

SINGAPORE - Which issues are top of mind for voters in a given constituency going into the next general election? The answer likely depends on that constituency’s demographics.

With the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report on March 11, significant changes have been made to the battle lines. There have also been population shifts and the emergence of new housing estates since the last general election in 2020, even within constituencies whose boundaries are largely unchanged.

The Straits Times has conducted an analysis of publicly available resident and housing data to calculate an estimate of each constituency’s demographic profile and to better inform our reporting.

ST understands that major political parties here consider similar data when making decisions such as which areas to contest and where to field certain candidates.

We plan to make use of this data in our in-depth constituency reports, starting with one on Punggol GRC, as well as our constituency hub pages, which will be launched closer to the election campaign period. Various follow-up stories on particular constituencies and key election themes may also cite this data.

Here’s how we did it.

Matching official statistics to new electoral boundaries​

We first looked at the latest available data organised by geographical distribution from the Singapore Department of Statistics, namely the “Residential Dwellings by Planning Area/Subzone and Type of Dwelling” and “Singapore Residents by Planning Area/Subzone, Single Year of Age and Sex” data sets from June 2024, as well as the “Resident Population by Ethnic Group” data set from the Singapore Census of Population 2020.

These data sets are sorted by URA Master Plan 2019 planning zones and subzones. However, the subzones do not always neatly correspond to electoral boundaries. In some cases, a subzone may be split across multiple electoral divisions.

To map the data to electoral divisions, we used an open-source software called QGIS to overlay the electoral divisions onto the subzones. We then applied a function to slice the subzones along the electoral boundaries and calculate what portions of the subzone are in a given constituency.

We found that over 80 per cent of the 332 subzones sit entirely, or almost entirely, within a single group representation constituency or single-member constituency, giving us confidence that all of the residents and homes within those subzones are located neatly within the boundaries of those constituencies. For the remaining subzones, we had to make certain assumptions.

In some cases, we assume that the residential population and homes are distributed evenly across the geographical area of the subzone.

Take, for instance, the Clementi North subzone, which consists almost entirely of residential estates and has close to 31,000 residents. The map data shows that about 40 per cent of the land area of Clementi North is in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC while the remaining 60 per cent is in Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

We therefore assigned about 12,400 of the subzone’s residents to Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and about 18,600 to Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC while keeping the age distribution consistent across both groups. We did the same with the number of homes and the racial mix.

In other cases, we made judgment calls based on observations of the actual geography of the area.

For example, the land area of the Compassvale subzone in Sengkang is split about evenly between Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang GRC. However, the portion in Ang Mo Kio GRC consists mainly of train depots and empty fields. There are some migrant worker dormitories in the area, but these are excluded from the Department of Statistics data.

We therefore ignored the land split and assigned 100 per cent of the homes and residents in the subzone to Sengkang GRC.

Our approach will naturally be more accurate for constituencies where all or most of their subzones are completely within their boundaries, such as Punggol GRC, and less accurate for constituencies that are less clear-cut. Nevertheless, we are confident that the data gives a reasonably accurate indication of the demographic profile of each constituency.

 

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From East Coast Park to Jurong Lake Gardens: NParks opens more than 350 plots for gardening​

Allotment Gardening Scheme lots are available in sites such as East Coast Park, Jurong Central Park, and Punggol Park.PHOTO: NPARKS

Angelica Ang
Mar 18, 2025

SINGAPORE – More than 350 plots across 15 gardens and parks in Singapore are now open for application from people who aspire to grow edible plants.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said on March 18 that applications can be submitted from 10am on March 19 till 11.59pm on April 1.

The move is an expansion of the Allotment Gardening Scheme, which was launched in 2016 to allow individuals to rent a space to grow edible plants in the parks and gardens.

This time around, lots are available in sites such as East Coast Park and Jurong Central Park, with the most number at Jurong Lake Gardens, Punggol Park and Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West.

Each plot costs $62.13 a year, and contains a raised planter bed – 2.5m x 1m in size – with soil and a mini storage area for tools, and can be held for three years.

Applications via AXS channels, such as e-Stations, m-Stations and kiosks, will be subjected to computerised balloting.

To date, more than 2,400 allotment gardening plots have taken root in 28 parks and gardens across Singapore, NParks said.

Since 2021, it has also worked with agencies, town councils and grassroot organisations to make the initiative even more accessible, with plots nearer to people’s homes.

The next application cycle will fall in the fourth quarter of 2025.

 

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Cooling spaces, suspension of outdoor activities, among measures in S’pore’s new heat response plan​

Periods of high heat stress can occur even without a heatwave. PHOTO: ST FILE
Chin Hui Shan and Shabana Begum
Mar 19, 2025

SINGAPORE - Cooling spaces will be open to the public to seek respite from the soaring temperatures when a heatwave is forecasted, as part of a national plan to help Singaporeans tackle rising temperatures.

These spaces - some of which will be air-conditioned - will be set up islandwide. These stations could be at community centres, residents’ committees and indoor sports halls with air-conditioning. Details of how many of them there will be are not yet available.

These cooling stations are part of a suite of heat response measures formulated by a new group comprising over 30 government agencies and ministries, called the Mercury Taskforce, that were revealed to the media on March 19. They include the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

There are already existing measures in place to protect vulnerable groups, such as construction workers, from heat-related illnesses, during periods of high heat stress, as defined by various parameters including air temperature and humidity.

For example, during periods of high heat stress, workers involved in heavy physical labour, such as shovelling and manual sawing, should be given at least 10 minutes to rest under shade every hour.

But the new plan sets out a national approach to how various sectors should respond when a heatwave is expected to hit. It also outlines additional measures that vulnerable groups should take to protect themselves from rising temperatures.

There is no universally accepted definition of a heatwave, but it is declared in Singapore when the highest daily temperature over three consecutive days is at least 35 deg C, with the mean temperature each day being at least 29 deg C.

Periods of high heat stress can occur even without a heatwave.

When the weather forecast by the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) indicates a high likelihood of a heatwave in Singapore, a joint media advisory warning of impending high temperatures will be issued, said the taskforce.

The advisory – which details additional heat response measures for specific sectors, such as for preschools and hospitals – will be in place until MSS forecasts that the high temperatures will subside.

When the heat response plan is activated, Singaporeans should minimise outdoor physical activities between 11am and 4pm due to higher heat stress levels in this period.

For vulnerable groups, more precautions are to be taken.

For example, preschools are not to conduct outdoor activities between 11am and 4pm – usually periods of high heat stress – as the children enrolled are younger.

All schools should also implement dress down attire and minimise outdoor activities during the same time period. Outdoor activities should also be modified or suspended according to the heat stress level.

Some schools around Singapore have already made efforts to reduce the impact of soaring temperatures on staff and students as classrooms in most primary and secondary schools are not equipped with air-conditioners.

For example, Beatty Secondary School had a second uniform for students comprising a polo tee made of a dri-fit material with moisture-wicking properties to help keep students cooler as the material is more breathable, ST reported in June 2024.

The taskforce also revealed some measures those at home can take to cool down when the mercury rises.

For instance, beside taking cool showers and soaking their feet with cool water, dwellers can cool down their body heat by spraying cold water mist or covering their head or shoulders with wet cool towels.

To create a cool space, residents should also set aside an area away from direct sunlight and with adequate air flow while avoiding using heat-emitting appliances in the cool space.

This whole-of-government heat response plan was released ahead of the hottest period of the year in Singapore, which usually falls between March and May.

For example, Singapore’s highest temperature of 37 deg C was recorded in May 13, 2023, in Ang Mo Kio.

In 2024 – which is Singapore’s hottest year on record, tying with 2019 and 2016 – Singapore experienced 21 days of high heat stress. Most of these days occurred in March, April and May.

Singapore has experienced six heatwave episodes historically, with the last one in 2016.

This year, however, the taskforce said a heatwave is unlikely to happen during the hotter months, as global climate drivers are not conducive for it.

For example, Singapore is currently experiencing La Nina conditions. Such conditions typically bring cooler and wetter weather in Singapore and the region.

All six heatwaves in the past had occurred in the tail end of an El Nino event. El Nino events bring drier and hotter weather to Singapore.

To measure heat stress, Singapore uses the wet bulb globe temperature (WGBT) – which accounts for not just air temperature, but also humidity, wind speed and solar radiation.

Under a heat stress advisory launched by Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) in 2023, periods of high heat stress are indicated by WGBT levels of 33 deg C or higher, and people are advised to minimise outdoor activities under such conditions.

To better measure heat stress, eight more WGBT stations, in locations like Jurong Island and Punggol Waterway, will be rolled out beyond stadiums by mid-2025. Currently, there are nine of such stations islandwide - with the majority of them in sports stadiums.

 

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Over 570,000 S’porean seniors to get $400 to $1,000 in Earn and Save bonus in March​

The bonus will be credited automatically to the CPF accounts of eligible recipients, said the Manpower Ministry.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Sarah Koh
Mar 20, 2025

SINGAPORE - More than 570,000 Singaporeans will receive $400 to $1,000 in March as part of the Earn and Save Bonus.

This will be the first payment of the annual bonus that was initially announced at the National Day Rally in 2023 as part of the $9 billion Majulah Package.

In a statement on March 20, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the bonus will provide an additional boost in retirement savings for working seniors.

Singaporeans born in 1973 or earlier will receive the bonus if they meet these requirements:

• Working and have an average monthly income of $500 to $6,000 in the previous year of assessment
• Live in a property with an annual value of $31,000 and below
• Own not more than one property

A higher bonus amount will be given to those with lower monthly incomes.

Those earning $500 to $2,500 in average monthly income will receive $1,000, while those earning above $2,500 to $3,500 will get $700.

Seniors who earn above $3,500 to $6,000 will receive $400.

The three-part Majulah Package is targeted at Singaporeans in their 50s and early 60s, a group that has been referred to as “young seniors”.

The group also covers those younger than the Merdeka Generation who were born between 1950 and 1959, and the Pioneer Generation who were born in 1949 or earlier.

About 1.6 million eligible Singaporeans received the MediSave Bonus in December 2024, and about 800,000 from the same age group received a one-time Retirement Savings Bonus in their CPF accounts.

The Earn and Save Bonus will be credited automatically to the CPF accounts of eligible recipients, said MOM. They will be notified via SMS in April after the bonus has been credited.

Recipients without a Singpass-registered mobile number will be notified through a letter sent to their addresses.

In its statement, MOM also reminded the public to guard against scams.

The ministry said that the SMS notification sent from “gov.sg” will give citizens information about their benefits. They will not be asked to reply to the SMS, click on any links or provide any details to the sender.

Messages about the bonus payment will not be sent through WhatsApp or other mobile messaging platforms.

Citizens can check their eligibility for the bonus on the govbenefits website, by logging in to Singpass.

 

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First childminding service for babies at a community space started in Tampines​

EduNanny by Butler is part of a pilot government project to give parents more options for infant care.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Theresa Tan
Mar 21, 2025

SINGAPORE – The first significantly subsidised nanny service in a community space opened its doors on March 3, and now has two babies enrolled.

EduNanny by Butler, which occupies a 500 sq ft room at Tampines East Community Club (CC), is part of a pilot government project to give parents more options for infant care.

A spokesperson for the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said it aims to get a second such set-up at Nee Soon East CC ready in the first half of 2025.

It is also assessing other community spaces to offer such services, particularly in locations where demand for infant care is higher.

Having childminding services in such spaces offers parents this option in convenient locations, and allows childminders to offer their services even if their homes are not suitable, the ECDA spokesperson said.

On Dec 1, 2024, ECDA launched a childminding pilot for infants aged two to 18 months.

Under the scheme, nannies either look after the babies in the nannies’ homes, or at a communal space such as a CC.

Childminding services are provided in five- or 10-hour blocks between 7am and 7pm from Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays.

Services offered during these time periods are subsidised, costing $16.50 for a five-hour block. Parents pay $719.40 a month if they use the service full time, or 10 hours a day for five days a week for four weeks, including goods and services tax.

Under the pilot, three operators have been appointed and are responsible for hiring the nannies, or childminders, as ECDA calls them. They are EduNanny by Butler, Kidibliss and NannyPro Care.

EduNanny chief executive Poon Da Qian said it has six childminders who are currently working, with over 30 waiting for ECDA’s screening clearance to start work.

On ECDA’s website, the agency says it conducts background checks on the nannies, including if they have any criminal history.

If the baby is cared for in the nanny’s home, these background checks are also done on the nanny’s family members and others who visit the house regularly.

Before they are deployed, the childminders also have to undergo mandatory training on infant care, among other things.

EduNanny’s childminders include retirees, as well as mothers in their 20s and 30s who want to care for their own children and earn an income at the same time by caring for other babies.

At EduNanny, parents have access to a live CCTV feed for their baby to put their minds at ease. This is especially important given the news of abuse committed by some childcare teachers in the past, Mr Poon said.

He added: “Parents want the live CCTV feed. They want more transparency in how operators run their operations.”

The ECDA spokesperson said childminding services offer more personalised care and greater flexibility for parents, compared with infant care services offered at childcare centres.

For example, parents can decide to use the childminding service for half a day, or on selected days, depending on their needs.

Parents can also use the Child Development Account (CDA), a special savings account for children that can be used to pay pre-school and other fees, to further defray the cost of the service.

The ECDA spokesperson said: “The pilot aims to grow childminding services to be an affordable, safe and reliable infant caregiving option for parents.”

When announcing the pilot in 2024, Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling said childminding fees would be similar to what a median-income family pays, after subsidies, for infant care at childcare centres run by anchor operators.

Anchor operators receive government grants that help offset costs, such as staff salaries, in return for meeting fee caps and quality criteria.

Meanwhile, private childminding services cost around $1,200 to $2,800 a month, and this varies according to the type of arrangement, the Ministry of Social and Family Development has previously said.

The pilot childminding scheme, which will run for three years, aims to serve 500 infants in the first year.

According to ECDA’s guidelines, each childminder is allowed to care for up to three infants at any one time under the childminding pilot. This is compared with one staff member for up to five babies under the infant care programmes run by childcare centres.

EduNanny is allowed to care for up to nine babies at its Tampines East CC set-up, but it plans for a maximum of six so that there is more space for each child, Mr Poon said.

He said: “We realise the first choice (for parents) is still centre-based care. They feel that there are more childminders at the centre, so it is safer.”

EduNanny chief executive Poon Da Qian said the firm has six childminders who are currently working, with over 30 waiting for ECDA’s screening clearance to start work. Its childminders include retirees and mothers in their 20s and 30s.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
The firm will also start placing babies in nannies’ homes from next week, for parents who choose that option. It has about 200 parents on the wait list now.

Ms Hartini Sumari, a 49-year-old mother of three teenagers, switched from housekeeping to working as a nanny at the EduNanny set-up at Tampines East CC as she loves children.

The Singapore permanent resident, who has secondary school education, said: “When the baby smiles at me or recognises me, it makes me happy.

“I also feel happy to see them grow.”

Over at Kidibliss, which is another operator under the pilot project, there are six babies currently being cared for by nannies at the nannies’ homes, said its business manager Jess Soh.

Kidibliss has a wait list of 60 to 70 parents now. It has about 20 nannies who have been screened by ECDA so far, and hopes to increase that number to 100, Ms Soh said.

Research coordinator Azyan Syazwani, 29, placed her daughter, who is now five months old, in infant care at a childcare centre, but pulled her out after less than a week. One reason was that she felt her baby did not get as much attention from the staff as she would like.

As she personally knows a childminder working for Kidibliss, Ms Azyan feels comfortable sending her daughter to that particular childminder’s house. Her daughter is the only baby her nanny cares for currently.

“We know her and her family dynamics personally,” she said. “If we don’t know her personally, I fear a lack of accountability.”

Like Ms Azyan, Madam H.C. Tan, who declined to give her full name, is also worried about the possibility of abuse if she sends her baby to the house of a nanny who is a stranger.

At a centre setting, both mothers feel there are other adults to help look out for and support one another and report any abuse, and there are also CCTVs installed.

Madam Tan, a 44-year-old operations professional, sends her eight-month-old daughter to the Tampines East CC set-up by EduNanny.

She likes the childminding service for the flexibility it offers, as she does not send her daughter there on days when her parents or in-laws are able to help look after her baby.

She said: “I am not comfortable placing my kid in a stranger’s house. I don’t know who goes to the house, and I don’t feel safe.”

 

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Politics: Referee kayu​

Ng Chee Meng, secretary general of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), must be the luckiest Singaporean. Ng was a one-term member of Parliament (MP) with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) before his Sengkang team famously lost to the Workers’ Party (WP) in the 2020 general election (GE). Despite Ng failing to win an electoral mandate, NTUC controversially kept him on as secretary-general, a role that since 1980 had been filled by cabinet ministers. Ng’s lucky to have kept this well-remunerated job, a privilege that losing or retiring PAP candidates—but rarely opposition ones—often enjoy within the establishment. (Ng and his two brothers are all military men and part of the governing elite.)

Ng was lucky again that the PAP omitted him from its Sengkang slate for the upcoming GE, where he’d likely face the same formidable WP team featuring Louis Chua, He Ting Ru and Jamus Lim. And the release of last week’s report by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC), which features significant gerrymandering, makes him three times lucky. The EBRC has resuscitated the Jalan Kayu single member constituency after it’s been dormant for almost 40 years. It’s been carved out of the adjacent Ang Mo Kio group representation constituency, a stronghold led by Lee Hsien Loong, senior minister. And this week, Ng went on a walkabout there with Lee. He later wrote on Facebook that he’s familiar with the neighbourhood, given that he’s been living in Seletar Hills for 20 odd years, and he also “grew up” there because of his youth flying activities.

How lucky to have a new political district created on your doorstep. If the PAP does indeed field him there, the hometown boy would seem like a shoo-in. That said, rumours are swirling that opposition heavyweights, including Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party, may contest there, in what could be a multi-cornered fight. If Ng somehow contrives to lose again, will he still keep his NTUC post? If that happens, better buy 4D liao.

 

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Singapore setting aside funds to help future generations tackle climate change, says Grace Fu​

Find out how Singapore is pushing ahead with climate action on the latest episode of The Usual Place.

Chin Hui Shan
Mar 21, 2025

SINGAPORE – Protecting Singaporeans from the impacts of climate change is a long-term endeavour, and the country is starting to put aside funds now so future generations will not have to bear all the costs, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

“Many aspects of the Budget are about getting ourselves ready for the long term,” she said, referring to Singapore’s spending plan for the year ahead.

“In the area of sustainability, the coastal protection fund (top-up) of $5 billion is a very clear sign that when we have resources, when we have a surplus, we are going to put that aside so that this generation will start to pay for the future generation and not load all the costs on them,” she added.

Ms Fu was speaking about how Singapore is tackling climate change on The Straits Times’ current affairs podcast, The Usual Place.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had announced in his Budget speech on Feb 18 that another $5 billion will be injected into the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund, which was set up in 2020 to protect Singapore against rising sea levels and enhance flood resilience.

As coastal protection is a long-term effort, the use of the fund is expected to ramp up towards the end of the decade to fund the design and construction of coastal protection measures, ST reported.

Despite the current geopolitical situation not being conducive for climate initiatives, with the United States scaling back on its climate plans, Ms Fu said Singapore is pressing on with climate action.

“We are a very small emitter in the overall scheme of things... whether we reduce our emissions or not, it’s not going to really move the needle,” she said. “But we always think that Singapore likes to do what’s right. We know that that’s our responsibility as a citizen, as an individual, as a corporate citizen, as a global citizen.”

On how the Republic is cutting emissions, Ms Fu cited various initiatives, including efforts to tap more renewable energy and import clean-generated electricity from elsewhere.

(From left) Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu speaking to ST assistant news editor Audrey Tan and podcast host Natasha Ann Zachariah on March 20 about how Singapore is tackling climate change.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
By importing renewable energy sources such as hydropower and solar power from other countries, Singapore will be able to have a more resilient grid, said Ms Fu, who is also Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations.

In South-east Asia, renewable resources are unevenly distributed, so having a connected grid could allow countries to trade electricity freely to meet rising demand. Such a grid would hedge against the intermittencies of renewables by distributing energy more efficiently.

Ms Fu said improving energy efficiency will also help the country to cut its emissions.

“We can swop fossil fuels for renewable energy. But if we can reduce the amount of energy that is needed, we can actually need to swop less,” she said.

Her ministry is also helping households contribute to energy-efficiency efforts, she said, pointing to the expansion of the Climate Friendly Households Programme.

The expansion, also announced during the Budget, will see all Singaporean families living in private property receiving $400 worth of vouchers to purchase more efficient household appliances, including certain types of air-conditioners.

All Housing Board households will also receive an additional $100 worth of vouchers. This means that HDB households that have not spent the first tranche of vouchers will now have $400 worth of vouchers to spend.

For households, although swopping older electrical appliances to more energy-efficient ones can be more costly, she said Singaporeans can tap the climate vouchers to offset some of the costs incurred.

She added that in the long run, utility bills could be lower as a result of being more energy-efficient.

But aside from cutting emissions, Ms Fu said that Singapore must also move to protect its people from climate impacts. Such adaptation strategies are also a key part of climate action.

The ever-thickening layer of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is like a person being cloaked in a growing number of blankets, she said.

“Imagine somebody putting on layers and layers of blankets on you... now you have something like 50 layers of blankets on you and you’re starting to sweat profusely. That’s exactly what’s happening to planet earth,” she said.

The move by the US to scale back on its climate plans will add on to these “layers”, she said.

Given this, Singapore also needs to protect itself from the impacts of climate change.

“It’s going to take a long while for us to remove those layers and we need to adapt,” she said.

“We have to really be serious with our adaptation. Whether it’s on heat, whether it’s on coastal protection, whether it’s on water security or food security, we need to keep our eyes on our plans and keep at it,” said Ms Fu.

To tackle sea-level rise, Singapore is conducting eight islandwide site-specific studies of its coastlines to determine the most suitable coastal protection solutions for each segment.

During the debate on her ministry’s budget on March 4, Ms Fu announced that two site-specific studies on Sentosa island and the nation’s south-west coast will begin by 2026.

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Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy lives on in every corner of Singapore and in its people: Indranee Rajah​

(From left) Radin Mas MP Melvin Yong; Tanjong Pagar GRC MPs Joan Pereira, Chan Chun Sing and Indranee Rajah; West Coast GRC MP Rachel Ong and former Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Koo Tsai Kee at a ceremony held at Duxton Plain Park to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s death.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Judith Tan
Mar 22, 2025

SINGAPORE – The legacy of Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew can be found in every corner of Tanjong Pagar, where he stood for election throughout his political career, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah on March 22, the eve of his 10th death anniversary.

“In our green spaces that provide respite from urban living; in our modern housing that provides dignity and comfort, and most of all, a home in our community; in initiatives that bring people together and bond us; and most importantly, in the spirit of our people – resilient, forward-looking and committed to making Tanjong Pagar better with each passing year,” said Ms Indranee, who is also Second Minister for Finance and National Development and an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC.

“What he did for Tanjong Pagar, he also did at scale for the whole country. He oversaw this extraordinary transformation of Singapore in its journey from Third World to First.”

Ms Indranee was speaking during a ceremony at Duxton Plain Park to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Mr Lee’s death.

Mr Lee died on March 23, 2015 at the age of 91. He was Tanjong Pagar’s first MP, after being elected in 1955 when it was a single-member constituency. He remained as MP of the constituency for almost 60 years. Tanjong Pagar is now a five-member group representation constituency.

Also at the ceremony were two other MPs of the GRC – Education Minister Chan Chun Sing and Ms Joan Pereira. Absent from the event were Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth as well as Social and Family Development Eric Chua; and Minister of State for Trade and Industry as well as Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan.

Other attendees included Mr Koo Tsai Kee, former MP of the Tiong Bahru division under Tanjong Pagar GRC from 1991 to 2011; and Ms Rachel Ong, an MP for West Coast GRC.

Ms Ong attended as a “special guest”, since her division was ceded to Tanjong Pagar GRC after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee dropped its report on March 11.

Mr Koo and Ms Ong joined the three Tanjong Pagar MPs in placing bouquets of yellow and white chrysanthemums at the foot of the Lee Kuan Yew Memorial Tree.

The tree was planted at Duxton Plain Park a month after Mr Lee’s death, witnessed by then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, along with some 500 residents from the constituency.

Among his many accolades, the founding father of the Republic was affectionately known as Singapore’s Chief Gardener.

Tree Planting Day, which began in 1963, became a tradition on the first Sunday of November before the start of the year-end monsoon.

“That is very much like everything else he did – with thought and purpose, and always with a view to helping something to grow, to be stronger and better,” Ms Indranee said.

Mr Koo said: “The late (US president) Richard Nixon called Mr Lee a big man on a small stage. Big was not referring to his size, but his stature on the world stage... His legacy is not just the physical infrastructure – the buildings, the roads, the airport, the port – but the institutions he left behind.

“Ten years have passed since Mr Lee died, yet the institutions that he built – honesty, efficiency, integrity – remain strong and thriving.”

Residents and members of the public gathering at the Lee Kuan Yew Memorial Tree at Duxton Plain Park on March 22.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Speaking to residents and members of the public gathered at the Lee Kuan Yew Memorial Tree, Mr Chan said Mr Lee left behind an ethos of meritocracy, multiracialism and incorruptibility.

“Our greatest tribute to Mr Lee is to keep Singapore going. When the job gets done while we are still around, we are not impressed. When the job still gets done even when we are no longer around, then we can be impressed,” he said.

A minute of silence was observed during the ceremony as a remembrance of Mr Lee and his contributions to Singapore.

Mr Ho Nai Chuen, a grassroots volunteer who had served with Mr Lee since 2003, said to most people, Mr Lee was stern and strict, but “when you got to know him, he was actually very caring and pragmatic”.

Mr Ho Nai Chuen (left) said to most people, Mr Lee Kuan Yew was stern and strict, but “when you got to know him, he was actually very caring and pragmatic”.PHOTO: COURTESY OF HO NAI CHUEN
“Some would even call him frugal. He was not an advocate for air-conditioning, and the large halls at the CC had only fans until recently,” Mr Ho said.

The most memorable event etched in his mind was in 2013, when Mr Lee, who was then frail, attended the National Day dinner.

“We had taken the rostrum from the stage down to the hall, but he insisted, despite his frailty, that it be returned to the stage as he wanted to address everyone, even those at the tables at the back of the hall,” Mr Ho recalled, wiping a tear from his eye.

A two-day art exhibition was also launched at Tanjong Pagar Community Club showcasing paintings and artefacts of Mr Lee, as well as a 67m-long painting named Singapore On Canvas by artist Ng Peng Sing.

It depicts Singapore’s transformation from a fishing village to the city it is today.

 

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Faster immigration clearance at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal after $20m upgrade​

The newly upgraded Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal on March 22.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Elisha Tushara
Mar 22, 2025

SINGAPORE - On average, it used to take 20 minutes for ferry passengers to get to the departure gate at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.

Now, it takes about only five minutes, after a $20 million revamp that saw eight more immigration clearance lanes added for departing travellers.

Unveiled on March 22 by Minister of State for Transport and Law Murali Pillai, the one-year overhaul boosts efficiency with self-check-in kiosks, automated bag drops, and passport-less immigration lanes.

The Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC), which manages the terminal, expects up to 70 per cent of ferry passengers to perform self-check-ins at 15 new kiosks, which will be fully deployed by end-2025.

While passengers can still buy tickets, collect boarding passes and check in at revamped ferry operator counters, those who pre-book can skip the queues.

Similar to airport procedures, travellers can scan their passports at the kiosks and print both boarding passes and luggage tags.

They can then drop their bags at six bag drop counters, up from four before the renovation. Checked-in bags are put through x-ray scanners via a conveyor belt, before baggage porters transfer them into cages and load them onto the ferries.

The newly upgraded bag drop system at the drop-off area in Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal on March 22.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
A future phase will allow ticket purchases at kiosks.

Arriving and departing Singapore residents, and all departing foreign travellers, can clear immigration using facial and iris biometrics without presenting their passports.

This speeds up clearance by 60 per cent, cutting processing time to about 10 seconds. However, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said travellers still need to carry their passports for verification.

ICA has also expanded the terminal’s immigration clearance capacity by 50 per cent, increasing the number of arrival lanes from 12 to 26 and departure lanes from 12 to 20.

Immigration clearance is now faster with 26 lanes in the arrival area in the upgraded Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
The terminal’s capacity has expanded by 25 per cent, accommodating more than three million passengers annually, up from 2.4 million.

The redesigned departure hall, now 70 per cent larger, can hold 200 more passengers.

Mr Murali described the upgrade as a key milestone in strengthening connectivity between Singapore, Johor and the Riau Islands.

Singapore Cruise Centre chairman Lok Lik Peng and Minister of State for Transport and Law Murali Pillai at the grand opening of the upgraded Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal on March 22.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
“I am happy that more passengers can now enjoy the upgraded facilities when they pass through the terminal. These improvements will enhance the travel experience at the terminal and support more regional economic collaboration in the years to come,” said Mr Murali.

The terminal has added more dining options, such as Subway, Luckin Coffee, Lepak Corner and Woon’s by Killiney, its first halal-certified outlet.

More dining options are now available at the upgraded Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
An outlet in the departure area has yet to be awarded.

A previously unused field outside the departure area has been converted into an outdoor play space for families, featuring slides, shaded seating and benches for parents.

A newly added playground at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal on March 22.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Mr Ian Han, 41, an engineer, said it took him, his wife and two children under six years old about five minutes from arrival to get to the departure gate.

He said: “It’s definitely much faster compared with the old terminal, plus the playground is a great addition. My kids can play and run around instead of being constrained in the waiting area before boarding the ferry.”

Business-class travellers can access two lounges, instead of one, in the departure area.

To enhance comfort, the terminal features hybrid cooling systems that combine fan ventilation with air-conditioning, alongside high-volume, low-speed fans to circulate cool air efficiently.

Solar panels continue to supply a third of the terminal’s daytime energy needs.

The toilets in the main concourse, departure and arrival halls have been revamped with features such as new cubicles, wash basins and tiling.

The terminal serves four ferry operators – Batam Fast, Bintan Resort Ferries, Majestic Fast Ferry and Sindo Ferry – connecting Singapore to Batam, Bintan and Desaru.

It is one of three terminals managed by SCC, alongside HarbourFront Centre and Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal.

SCC chief executive Jacqueline Tan said the new amenities offer ferry passengers elevated user experiences.

Said Ms Tan: “This enhances our role as a regional gateway from Singapore to Riau Islands and Malaysia, as economic growth generates higher passenger volumes in the coming years.”

In 2024, the terminal handled about one million passengers.

Faster immigration clearance​

The revamp aligns with ICA’s New Clearance Concept, announced in 2019 to enhance speed and security at immigration checkpoints.

ICA has fully automated clearance for all foreign visitors, and introduced passport-less clearance – including QR code options – for eligible travellers.

According to ICA’s 2024 Annual Statistics Report, as at Jan 31, around 47 million travellers have cleared immigration without presenting a passport.

And more than 230 million travellers passed through the Republic’s checkpoints in 2024, about 38 million more than in 2023.

Since September 2024, all four terminals at Changi Airport have implemented passport-less clearance, allowing Singapore residents to use facial and iris biometrics instead of passports.

Foreign visitors also benefit from passport-less clearance when departing Singapore, reducing average clearance time from 25 seconds to about 10 seconds.

The system was extended to Marina Bay Cruise Centre in December 2024, and will roll out at Seletar Airport from 2025.

QR code clearance is also available at land checkpoints, with 70 per cent of cars at Woodlands and Tuas now using it.

Since August 2024, it has been extended to motorcyclists and bus passengers, including those requiring special assistance.